As part of our ‘On the sofa with’ series, we are bringing you exclusive advice from some of our favourite brands on how to make your home a haven this season. With such tumultuous times in recent months, being able to create a sanctuary to disappear into and relax has never been more important. This week, we speak to Patch, the plant experts who are helping everyone become green-fingered – even if you’ve never been able to keep a plant alive before! Read on to find out why plants are so key to helping create the perfect home environment – from offices to bedrooms, and from living rooms to bathrooms – there’s a plant for every room, and for every environment!
Adding even just a few plants to your home can have a dramatic effect – they can change how a space looks and how it feels with very little effort. We’ve watched the biophillic trend grow over the past year, and although plants make a home look good, they also have a number of other benefits. Here are just a few reasons your next home makeover should be extremely green…
Many studies have shown that being around nature makes us feel more relaxed – just think about how refreshing it is to step outside and go for a walk amongst the trees, or in the countryside. The same is true for being indoors too! Green is a colour that our brain finds naturally soothing, so bringing a few plants into a room can immediately make it a more relaxing place to be, allowing you to switch off and forget about the outside world for a moment or two. Plants have been found to reduce stress levels, as well as purifying the air around us, so adding them to the bedroom is the perfect way to start your day.
Try putting small, low-maintenance plants on your bedside table so you wake up to a calming view, allowing you to start the day in a positive, well-rested and relaxed way. Our favourite plants for the bedroom are Penny the Chinese money plant or Susie the snake plant – their simple shaped leaves and bright green colours inject positivity into the room.
People often think you need a lot of light and a lot of space if you want plants, but neither of these myths are true. As long as your room gets some natural light, even just a tiny bit, there’s a plant that can thrive there, bringing some life and colour into your home. Howard the aspidistra will do well even in very low light, and is known as a cast iron plant – meaning he is perfect for beginners as he is practically unkillable!
If space is an issue, hanging plants are your friend. You don’t need any spare floor space to hang a beautiful vine from the ceiling or bookshelf! Our bestselling hanging plant is Rapunzel the golden pothos, and although she’s referred to as the Devil’s Ivy, we think she’s a showstopper.
Plants are a really easy way to give a room a completely new feel. Add a few palms, like Big Ken the Kentia Palm or Sharon the parlour palm, and you instantly give your space a tropical vibe, or add a huge plant like Reggie the bird of paradise for pleasing drama. By introducing plants to the living room, you’re creating your very own jungle, which not only looks great, but helps bring the room to life!
Grouping tall plants around a favourite armchair can create a tranquil, cosy reading corner. Try Chaz the monstera and Fidel the fiddle leaf fig, both of which have handsome sculptural leaves, to create that comfy spot where you can escape into a whole new world.
Right now, we’re all looking for ways to stop our thoughts from rushing around in our heads, and – take it from us – there is nothing more relaxing than caring for plants.
Most plants are extremely easy to look after, but the simple act of tending to them gives your mind a chance to unwind. Having simple processes and routines in place is the perfect way to distract yourself from the outside world, so why not take 10 minutes to yourself once a week to water your plants, or 30 minutes to gently clean their leaves? Not only does it help you, but it also gives you a sense of achievement when you see your plants thriving!
As well as lots of fabulous shades of green, you’ll find plenty of plants in other eye-popping shades. Bringing in plants is an easy way to add colour to a room without getting the paintbrush out!
The acid yellow-green of Pascal the neon pothos, the deep maroon of Tristan the calathea triostar or the lipstick red of Fleur the anthurium will all add wow factor. For an even more eye-catching effect, try grouping them together, and create your very own colourful jungle.
Don’t forget the bathroom! Almost all plants will absolutely love living in a bathroom, as the moisture content will be high and bathrooms are typically quite bright – so turn your bathroom into a rainforest and watch them thrive. Having plants in the bathroom is a great way to make you feel energized, and also helps to add colour to a room that is typically quite functional and pared back.
Think of plants as living decoration and the possibilities are endless. One of the best things about them is they’re completely portable, so you can move your plants around to fit your mood or as your style changes – they don’t have to be permanent!
You can turn a bookcase into a feature wall by placing tumbling plants on its shelves. Use Silvy the satin pothos, Jethro the lipstick plant and Theodore the string of nickels to create a cascade of colours and textures that add character and interest to your space.
The options are only limited by your imagination – what are you waiting for?! Take a look at Patch’s fabulous plants here, and begin creating your very own haven today!